Those Magic Changes
by slightly slytherin
Summary: Too many changes in Buffy's life are troubling her far more than she ever believed possible. And what is this of Willow and a new job?
1. Default Chapter

Those Magic Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters portrayed within this work. The situations portrayed wherein are fictional, and any original characters not owned by Joss Whedon or J.K. Rowling are owned by me. By using the characters of Mr. Whedon and Ms. Rowling, I am not getting paid, nor am I benefiting in any other way from use of their characters. Enjoy!

Something was bothering Buffy. This was apparent to Willow. Since returning from Europe, she hadn't been the same. Even a simple vamp slaying seemed excruciatingly difficult for the slayer.

Slayer but was she now? With the disintegration of the Watcher's Council, her slaying duties disintegrated as well. Now she merely slayed out of habit, seeking a comfortable connection with her past. Without a little bit of familiarity, change would be far too overwhelming.

Even with the safety cushion of slaying, the changes were tearing her apart. There were only five of them now, really. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Dawn, and Spike. Anya was dead; Tara was dead; Oz was dead; Joyce, Cordelia, Riley all dead. Giles...Giles was gone as well. Not dead, but gone all the same. He was in England, rebuilding the Council and training the new Slayers.

_New Slayers. _Could she be replaced that easily? The thought plagued Buffy (not for the first time) and she perilously let her awareness drift away.

"Buffy! Vampire!" Willow's shout brought her back to the world. With quickness only the Slayer possessed, Buffy spun and rammed the stake into the vamp's heart. Immediately, it exploded into dust. She checked her watch.

"Let's go, Wil. I think all of the creepy-crawlies are done for the night," Buffy said, heading home. Willow followed.

It wasn't just the dead friends change and Giles being in London that was troubling Buffy. There was also Sunnydale. With the destruction of the town, the Scoobies and Spike were forced to move to L.A. home of Angel and Faith.

On her first night in L.A., Buffy had met up with Angel. He had been acting rather strangely towards her, and when Buffy asked if she could go to his apartment, he had declined, saying it wasn't a good time. Curious, she had followed him undetected to his apartment. Faith was waiting for him; they embraced and went inside.

So Angel had moved on. So his latest conquest was Faith. So what? Still, this upset Buffy immensely. It almost upset her as much as what was going on with her best friend, Willow.

The two of them walked to the house in silence, both caught up in their own thoughts. They reached the steps, and both sat side by side on the top step, knowing without words that they needed to talk.

"So what goes on, Miss Buffy?" Willow asked in an attempt to lighten a conversation she knew would be anything but.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at me," Buffy looked, "What is bugging you, Buff?" The question came out as almost a command, very uncharacteristic of Willow.

"I...it's everything. Absolutely everything, Wil. Anya, Riley...Giles replacing me. Angel being with Faith...and...and you leaving "

"My leaving?" Willow interjected, "I thought you said you were happy for me!"

"I am! I am...it's just that you're gonna be so far away. And their world is in chaos. Right now, I'm scared for you."

"Their world? It's in London." puzzled Willow, causing Buffy to roll her eyes.

"You know what I mean, Willow."

"Oh, right. Right y'are there, cap'n." Willow replied, saluting Buffy.

"Are you all right? You're acting a little on the weird side yourself."

"I must admit, I'm a little confused," Willow confessed, "I had no idea that there was a whole magic...race out there. Born that way. Called to it. Kinda like you and this Slayer business."

"And Giles studied at the school "

"and was expelled for dabbling in the Black Arts "

"but he went back. He was the only expelled pupil ever admitted back."

Willow nodded, "Because he was exceptional."

"He is exceptional," Buffy started before catching herself and making up hastily, " -ly good at being a Watcher. He's an exceptional Watcher."

Willow raised an eyebrow, then asked sympathetically, "You miss him, don't you, Buffy?"

" 'Course I miss him." Buffy replied with a peculiar crack in her voice.

"Me too," Willow told her, "Every day."

"Oh, so that's why you're leaving me here? 'Cause you miss Giles?"

"No! No, it's not like that! It's the job, Buff. The learning experience. You know that I wanna do that...that 'fancy - schmancy' magic stuff! And I wanna make other people kinda sorta learn it too!"

Buffy sighed, "I know it, Wil. But that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"You could come, you know. There really isn't anything keeping you here," Willow frowned.

"What about Xander? Dawn? Spike?"

"What about 'em?"

Buffy was flustered, "Well, don't you think they're reason enough to stay? I mean, you know...I need to be here to be the...the best Slayer I can be to protect them. Save their lives."

"That's not a reason "

"What the hell do you mean 'that's not a reason'? It's reason enough for me."

"I mean that you need to care a little bit more about number one than about everyone else for once."

"Hmm...not following you here."

Willow expressed her annoyance by raising her voice, "I mean that you put everyone else ahead of yourself, and that's not the way it should be. Take care of yourself first, then save the world afterwards."

"You know I'd die for them, Wil."

"I know. You have. Twice."

"Exactly."

"Well, remember this, Miss...Miss High-and-Mighty: The third time is the charm. If there's a third time, there might not be any bringing you back. We worked so hard to keep you from staying dead both times, and...and I'll be damned if you throw all of that away."

There was another lengthy pause, broken by Buffy. "Wil...?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"I...I was wondering. I've been wondering for some time...why did you bring me back? I mean...I know...we're friends and everything but...you could have brought Tara back, but you didn't. You risked it for me, but not for Tara. Why is that?"

"Number of reasons. No offense, Buffy, but it wasn't my idea to bring you back. Despite the risks, when there are people forcing you to do a spell to bring someone back, you generally go through with it. Even if the risks are too much. They said that there wasn't anything to lose, and they won." Willow told her truthfully.

"Oh."

"So you going?"

Buffy frowned, "Going...where?"

"London!"

"Oh. I don't think so. I have duties here."

"You're not the Slayer anymore!" Willow shouted, suddenly angry, "You don't have duties. The only thing that matters is you what you want! We gave you another chance at life so you wouldn't have to put up with that Slaying garbage...not that it's garbage...I just mean it ruined your life."

"Whatever."

"No...no...no, don't you 'whatever' me. I've been 'whatevered' for the last time, you...you...person-that-I-can't-think-of-an-insulting-name-for-at-this-moment. Giles is even concerned! He wrote a letter about it, and I didn't give it to you because I knew it would upset you. But now...now I think you really need to read it. If you won't listen to me, I can only hope you'll listen to Giles. 'Cause... 'cause he's British and stuff."

"You _took_ a letter Giles wrote me and hid it?"

"I...I thought it was best." Willow stammered.

"Well, stop caring about what's best for me. You should be caring about number one first, Wil," Buffy mocked, "So now...give me the letter."

"Fine. Fine. Take the stupid letter." Willow reached in her pocket and produced several folded up pieces of paper covered in Giles's tiny print.

Buffy unfolded the letter and began to read.


	2. Ch 2 The Letter

Chapter Two: The Letter

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters portrayed within this work. The situations portrayed wherein are fictional, and any original characters not owned by Joss Whedon or J.K. Rowling are owned by me. By using the characters of Mr. Whedon and Ms. Rowling, I am not getting paid, nor am I benefiting in any other way from use of their characters. Enjoy!

Dearest Buffy,

It is very difficult to write you, especially under the circumstances. I know that we didn't part on the best of terms, and I offer my sincerest apologies for my behaviour towards you. I know that you are grown enough to make your own decisions, and trying to force you to live a normal life as a normal girl when you are anything but that was horribly out of line, and I am sorry.

Willow told me about Angel, and again, I am sorry. It is difficult for me to sympathise with your love for Angel after what he did to me. Soul or no soul, he tortured me as though it were some sort of...sick entertainment. Let's put it this way: If you were to encounter Dracula again, after he tried to kill you, would you start a relationship with him just because he said he 'changed his ways'. Perhaps that's not the best scenario. However, I hope that you can understand why I do not trust Angelus. With that said, it is very sad to me to hear of how he broke your heart, and I hope he comes to his senses. Remember though: It was you who initially broke his heart, so don't expect too much.

I find it hard to believe that Faith is still alive. Before the Sunnydale incident, The Council said they found her dead. I sense some shoddy cover-ups on the Council's part. Perhaps she was helping them with something important, and 'killed her off' so that she would be protected from less traditional members of the Council's outer-circle me, you and ensure they got the job done. The Council was very corrupt; surely you knew this?

Willow also told me that you were happy to hear of her position at the school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts is truly a fine institution; had I not been called on as a Watcher, I may have trained there to be an Auror. The school has turned out many fine Watchers. If you will recall Ms. Post, the nutter who was kicked out of the Council, she was both the last person expelled from the Watcher's Council and the only one not educated at Hogwarts School.

I myself am ashamed to say that I was expelled my fifth year for dabbling in the Dark Arts. After much discussion and pleading on my part, I was admitted again under the pretence that I be resorted. If I had been sorted back into Slytherin house, I would have been asked to leave and never return. I was, instead, sorted into Gryffindor. It was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. Sure, I was separated from all of my old friends it just wasn't the same without James, Sirius, and Remus but I met new people as well. The Longbottoms were quite good people. They got married shortly after school, and were damaged beyond repair by Lord Voldemort oh, how I shudder to write the name. He was the most vile, despicable wizard of all time. Mass killings abound wherever he is. Right now, he's making his comeback. It's scaring as many people as the Motley Crue comeback tour Pardon me for being so blunt. I've got a twisted sense of humour these days.

Willow will be taking over for Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master. I don't know why he is 'unable to fulfil his duties as professor' this year, but I am certain that his students will be ecstatic. He is a miserable human being. At school, he spent evenings performing Black Magic spells and rituals. His fascination with the Dark Arts was unnerving. I myself became fascinated in fifth year when he left a book on the grounds after some torture or another by James. i Darkness of a Thousand Nights: The Dark Arts Through the Years /i by Damien Darke. The way the book was written it just romanticised the Black Arts to me significantly. Expulsion opened my eyes and told me 'This is wrong!' From there, I got my head right on my shoulders, and there was no turning back. I became a Watcher. Still, a black smear remains on my resume.

I am not telling you this as a lecture oh, Heavens no. I am telling you this because I seldom ever speak of it. It just seems that you would want to know these things; I shouldn't have secrets from you, after all.

I heard of your discomfort regarding Lord Voldemort. That is perfectly understandable; do not be alarmed. As a Slayer, you possess 'magic blood'. This is to say that you are not a 'Muggle'. Willow is not a Muggle either, nor am I. They term us 'Witches' and 'Wizards', but really we are just people capable of performing magic. Not magic in terms of David Blaine or Harry Houdini of course those are merely optical illusions. We can perform magic with wands; magic with potions. Still, we can not stop Lord Voldemort, and you should not endanger your life to try. Many people far more qualified to defeat him have perished at his hands, and I urge you not to do anything 'stupid'.

I would like for you to come visit in London. I don't like that you are Slaying again. I have half a dozen new Slayers nearly trained to the point of action. You don't have to do this anymore; there are a surplus of Slayers now. If the other six are unable to fulfil their duties, sure, you can slay. If not, please don't endanger your life again.

Your nobility is charming, but I would really prefer that you cared a bit more about yourself. The world is quite heavy after all, and even you can not carry its weight on your shoulders. Please don't try to do this. Come to London and relax. Xander and Spike can ensure Dawn's safety; of this I am certain. If you come to London, I'm sure that the world will not fall apart. Do it for yourself, Buffy. You need a break.

I apologise for preaching to you, but we are on opposite sides of the pond so we don't get to converse on a daily basis. Most of what I do is worry about you I know, I told you to care about yourself before you concern yourself with everyone else but if you won't care for yourself, I will. I'm always here for you, and I look forward to seeing you in London.

Love,

Giles


End file.
